Why don't we have more prayer power?

Good News Reflection
Friday of the Eighth Week of Ordinary Time
May 28, 2010
Today's Readings:
1 Peter 4:7-13
Ps 96:10-13
Mark 11:11-26
http://www.usccb.org/nab/052810.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_05_28.mp3
Why don't we have more prayer power?
In today's first reading, St. Peter tells us, "Remain calm so that you will be able to pray." If we truly believe that we can trust God (as Jesus explains in today's Gospel reading) and that since God is trustable, he will respond to our prayers with goodness, then we of course remain calm. What is there to be perturbed about?
If we know – really know – that God is in charge and that no matter what the evidence at the moment looks like, our prayers WILL be answered, then we have no anxiety, no worry, no fear, no doubt – we never get uptight or impatient. In this calm spirit, our prayers have great strength.
When was the last time you prayed that like that?
Our mental state is a good barometer of our prayer power. The more into the uptight zone our barometer needle goes, the less we are trusting in God. And the less we trust God, the wimpier our prayers become. So now that we know this, how do we increase our prayer power? It seems unlikely that we who are mere mortals will ever totally stop worrying.
Anxiety and worry and fear and doubt are sins; they diminish our relationship with the all-loving, all-powerful God. During Mass, as we pray silently in agreement with the presiding priest at the end of the "Our Father" prayer, we ask God to "free us from all anxiety." So why do we go home and start worrying?
The answer: We look at the evidence of what is going bad instead of looking at God who is always good. We trust this "evidence" more than we trust God.
This is why we make novenas to the Blessed Mother, why we fast, why we say extra prayers kneeling at the tabernacle, why we pray the same thing over and over and over again. We take advantage of every opportunity to achieve greater prayer results. However, while there is value in persistent prayer, repetitious prayer does not work magic. Peter says, "Remain calm so that you will be able to pray."
What matters is our relationship with God in prayer, not the amount or type of prayer.
Peter gives us a few additional keys that unlock the power of your prayer life. Re-read the passage from his letter and meditate on how each of his instructions increases your love and therefore your trust level.
© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
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